Live blogging from Applebee’s Park on the night that Roger Clemens pitches for the Lexington Legends:
- Postgame — Clemens said he was happy with his performance. He said he could have gone two or three more innings, but is not ready to push it. He and son Koby said the most fun was getting to play with each other.
- Clemens wore a Texas Longhorns hat to the post-game press conference.
- "It really hit me when the national anthem was being played," said Koby.
- Koby on his Dad’s performance: "He was throwing the cheese by them like usual."
- Clemens is to stick around three more days before heading back to Texas. "I think Koby will be the happiest person to get me out of here," said the father.
- Clemens on what he wants out of his next start, for Round Rock: "Everything just needs to get sharper."
- 8:18 p.m. — I’m shutting it down, too. For awhile. Have to drop anchor and write for the dead-tree version. Will be back later with post-game notes. If not before.
- 8:15 p.m. — As Mark Maloney just pointed out, Clemens will leave the Legends with an ERA of 3. Clemens had an ERA of 1.87 last year in the National League. "Just shows how tough this league is," joked Mark. I think he was joking.
- 8:13 p.m. — On the night, Clemens allowed three hits and one run in three innings. He struck out six without walking a batter. He threw 62 pitches, 41 for strikes. He departed with Lexington leading 5-1.
- 8:09 p.m. — The Rocket is done. He gave up a hit and hit a batter in the third inning but did not allow a run. He struck out his final batter when Matt Fornasiere fouled into the catcher’s mit. After that pitch, Clemens tipped his hat and pointed to the Lake County dugout. He then removed his cap and waved to the crowd who gave him a standing ovation. A moment later, Clemens came back out of the dugout for a curtain call.
- 8:02 p.m. — Ooops, Clemens plunks batter Marshall Szabo, who has to have the trainer come out and attend to him at first base. The hit batter came on Clemens’ 52nd pitch.
- 7:57 p.m. — Juan Valdes, not the coffee guy, hits a ball off Clemens up the middle that is flagged down by second baseman Eric King. Alas, King can’t make the play. Basehit.
- 7:54 p.m. — The report in the press box is that the home run by Drennen came on a Clemens’ splitter that hung. Thus far, the Rocket has topped out at 92 miles per hour.
- 7:52 p.m. — Tommy Manzella cranks a three-run homer to give Lexington a 5-1 lead. If only Clemens could take this offense with him to Houston.
- 7:47 p.m. — Legends’ catcher Jeff Mackor was just hit by a pitch. You know what that means. Clemens is obligated to hit a Lake County batter, preferably the catcher.
- 7:45 p.m. — In his first trip to the plate, Koby Clemens flies out to center.
- 7:41 p.m. — Clemens breezes through the second inning 1-2-3. He strikes out two. His pitch count for the inning is 17 and 38 for the night thus far. Legends lead 2-1. Of the 38 pitches, six have yielded swinging strikes.
- 7:39 p.m. — A Clemens pitch comes close to hitting Lake County’s Fernando Pacheco in the right knee. This draws a cheer from the crowd.
- 7:30 p.m. — By the off chance you might actually be interested in the game itself, Lexington has just taken a 2-1 lead, thereby getting its starting pitcher off the hook. For now.
- 7:25 p.m. — At this rate, Clemens’ stint would be limited to three innings.
- 7:18 p.m. — After a double by Matt Fornasiere, Clemens strikes out Mike Conroy to end the inning. He threw 21 pitches, giving up two hits and one run, with those two Ks. Of the 21 pitches, 14 were strikes.
- 7:14 p.m. — With two out, Lake County’s Johnny Drennen drives a home run to right field off the Rocket. Drennen gets a big ovation and much applause when he touches home plate.
- 7:11 p.m. — Clemens strikes out the first batter looking on four pitches.
- 7:07 p.m. — After a stirring singing of the national by 8-year-old Brandon Stewart, Clemens knelt and autographed a ball for the member of the Little League Reds who had accompanied him to the pitcher’s mound.
- 7:03 p.m. — Clemens’ introduction as the Legends take the field brings a standing ovation.
- 6:59 p.m. — Elton John is playing on the public address system. Yes, "Rocket Man." ("Gonna be a long, long time . . .")
- 6:58 p.m. — It’s not the packed park that grabs your attention. It’s the left and right field lines. Both are packed wall-to-wall with standing room onlys. Waiting.
- 6:55 p.m. — Coming in from the bullpen after his warmups, Clemens stopped and shook the hand of each member of the Southwest Little League Reds that will go out with the Legends when the home team takes the field. How cool is that?
- 6:49 p.m. — Clemens name was just announced with the Legends starting lineup to a brief boost of applause.
- 6:45 p.m. — J.R. Towles has to be kicking himself. Towles is the regular Legends catcher. He would be catching a Hall of Famer tonight. Would be. Towles was suspended three-games for his reaction to being fined for arriving late for meeting. The club also said that Towles had not been treating an injury as instructed. Jeff Mackor was brought in from high-A Salem to catch Clemens.
- 6:43 p.m. — Lost in the circus is that the Legends are actually in the middle of a pennant race. With 13 games remaining, counting tonight, Lexington as a game and a half lead in the race for the first-half pennant.
- 6:35 p.m. — A huge mass of humans have assembled on the grass down the right-field foul line to watch No. 22 warm up in the Legends’ bullpen. He is doing so with a Legend imitating a stance at the plate. Meanwhile, out at second base, the Legends ground crew is painting the team logo and the No. 22 into the dirt.
